After suffering a double fracture to his left leg plus a fractured rib and losing his spleen last month, Alessandro Ballan has moved a step closer to his eventual return to cycling with the news that he will be released from hospital in the coming days.

The former world champion has got a green light from his doctors to head home, and will depart the Spanish hospital where he has been treated early next week. According to BMC Racing Team chief medical officer Dr. Max Testa, he will be given special medical transport. After that, a new assessment will be made.

“Once Alessandro is back in Italy, we'll make sure everything went well during the flight,” he stated. “Depending on the outcome of that evaluation, we can determine the next step in his rehabilitation.”

Aside from the fractures, he had a small puncture in his lung, plus damage to his spleen which led to its removal.

As a result of the treatment, he spent Christmas in hospital, and hasn’t seen his daughters in weeks. While his wife Daniele went quickly to Spain, his children have been cared for by their grandmother, and seeing them is a big priority for him.

“This has been particularly difficult because it's been a long time since I've been home,” he said. “Training camp started in mid-December and then I couldn't be home and together with my entire family for the holidays. So I'm very appreciative of the support from Dr. (Dario) Spinelli and the BMC Racing Team and the medical care I received here in Spain. Plus, all the messages of encouragement have given me more strength every day.”

No date has been approximated for his return to competition but it seems logical that he will face considerable time on the sidelines as a result of his injuries. Once he is able to return to the bike, he will train for several weeks and then a racing programme will be drawn up.

According to BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz, he will miss next Friday’s media day in Belgium, but arrangements will be made to ensure he is involved in some way.

“We are extremely pleased at the rapid progress that Alessandro has accomplished while under the excellent care of the Hospital Dénia Marina Salud,” the American said. “I can't imagine how much joy he and his family will enjoy when they are reunited. We look forward to having him back in the races in the coming months.”